Washington, D.C. — In response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address tonight, CAP Senior Fellow Arkadi Gerney issued the following statement on efforts to prevent gun violence:

Tonight President Obama was joined by former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) and more than 30 other survivors of gun violence and family members of victims of gun violence. They stood with the president in common cause to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and keep military-style weapons off our streets. They also stood for the Americans who cannot stand because they are among the 11,000 murdered with guns each year. The president challenged Congress to act. It’s time for Congress to meet that challenge.

To speak with an expert on this topic, contact Katie Peters at kpeters@americanprogress.org or 202.741.6285.